A Thousand Cherry Blossoms
by TheLostRelic
Summary: "Standing there in that park with a thousand cherry blossoms flowing overhead in an endless river of fluttering pink, Fuji could finally understand, even if only a little bit, the boy next to him." One shot.


**A Thousand Cherry Blossoms**

The hospital doors opened and Tezuka Kunimitsu stepped out into the cold winter air. Winter in Japan came swiftly that year, and that special frost that accompanied it came unbidden. He would never admit it, because he wasn't the type to admit such things, but he felt that the setting was somewhat poetic in an almost romantic sense.

His eyes dilated fractionally at the sight of the slight cerulean eyed teen waiting outside the glass doors. The other boy stepped away from the wall he had been leaning on and smiled up at Tezuka in that fashion unique only to him, a black umbrella held lightly in his hand.

"Fuji? What are you doing here?" Tezuka questioned, curiosity lacing his every word.

Fuji's careless smile never waned when he said, "I saw you going into the hospital and I got a little worried."

Tezuka's head tilted ever so slightly, and he peered down inquisitively at his slight friend. "You could have gone in. It's quite cold outside," he pointed out, but Fuji shrugged good naturedly.

"I didn't want to be in the way of people waiting for their check-ups," Fuji said, and Tezuka stared at him for a second.

"Ah... I see." He didn't, but he lied anyways.

One does not simply understand Fuji Syuusuke, particularly if the one in question is Tezuka Kunimitsu.

Shaking his head, Tezuka made his way down the steps, his black tennis bag slung across his right shoulder to relieve the burden placed on his left shoulder. He heard Fuji start behind him and assumed that the other boy would have been heading home. It occurred to him that he was being slightly callous and rude for not engaging him in conversation after he had waited for him. However, Fuji did not turn the other way, but rather followed closely behind Tezuka.

Instead of apologizing, Tezuka wanted to say, "You know you can stand up here, next to me," but he didn't. Instead, he continued walking as though there was nothing wrong, until Fuji's soft, effeminate voice broke the still of the silence.

"How's your arm doing?" Fuji asked casually, but there was an undercurrent in his voice that Tezuka couldn't place.

Almost instinctively, Tezuka tightly grasped his left arm, a move that didn't go unnoticed by Fuji.

Despite what people said or thought about Fuji being a sadist, they were all wrong. Fuji just enjoyed teasing his teammates on occasion and making them feel uncomfortable, but he was never an outwardly malicious person. And so, when he witnessed Tezuka clutching his arm tightly, he felt his chest constrict ever so slightly.

Fuji's hand reached out with his free hand but stopped just short of Tezuka's arm. His fingers curled in on themselves, forming a fist that then struck his own knee in a gesture of frustration. He hated that he couldn't help Tezuka and that the other boy felt some incomprehensible obligation towards his teammates even if that came at the detriment of his own well being.

Flashbacks of Tezuka's game with Atobe flashed before Fuji's eyes, and once again, he felt his eyes burn with sheer intensity of emotion. He understood how frustrated Oishi felt during such times because he now felt the same way. Risking his ability to play tennis, something that _defined_ Tezuka, all for the sake of his team was something that Fuji still struggled to get a hold on. For all his sensitivity, Fuji could understand Tezuka's rationale, but he just couldn't come to terms with the fact that Tezuka did it so easily and reflexively, almost as though it was natural for him.

It occurred to him then, walking behind the severe, stoic teen that this was Tezuka's lifestyle. Tezuka's existence and character revolved on his role as the pillar of Seigaku, and the firm, unwavering dedication that he felt towards his team. Only Sanada possessed the same driven quality that Tezuka did, but they differed because Tezuka sacrificed for his team in a way that no player, not even Sanada, could compete with.

"What're you thinking about?" Tezuka inquired, still facing forward.

Fuji looked up from the ground, his eyes closed and that same blithe smile gracing his soft features. "Nothing important."

They walked in silence for a while before Fuji interrupted. "Ne, Tezuka, why did you sacrifice your arm in that game against Atobe? You could have stopped, and let Echizen take the next game as we all knew he would."

Tezuka stopped walking and stiffened. Without looking back, he said, "I always try to win, Fuji."

"Ah, I see," Fuji said, but he was lying. He didn't "see", and he knew that he never would "see".

Maybe he wasn't meant to understand Tezuka in his infinite complexity, yet inherent simplicity. Tezuka was a walking mass of contradictions in Fuji's eyes. On the one hand, Tezuka seemed so direct, so simple in terms of his goals, his behavior, his actions, but behind that all lie a veil of unparalleled complexity. His stoic, taciturn disposition made him almost impossible to truly understand. Anyone could understand Tezuka's goals, his personality, and his actions, but no one could understand the man himself.

"You think that I was being too stubborn by continuing to play," Tezuka said to Fuji, more of a statement than a question.

Fuji opened his eyes for the first time since they met that day, his impossibly clear blue eyes sharp and attentive. "I don't question your motives, buchou."

Tezuka turned his head to the side so that he could see the other boy through his peripheral vision. "Fuji, you don't need to call me that," he said off-handedly, catching Fuji by surprise.

"Hai."

Fuji heard the other boy sigh and sag slightly. "Yamato-buchou entrusted me with the team - he gave me a responsibility and I will see it through until the end. That's all there is to it."

Unable to contain himself, Fuji burst, saying, "It's not. It never was."

"Never was what?" Tezuka questioned.

The cerulean eyed teen took a second to gather his thoughts and spoke shakily, his soft voice quivering with emotion and passion. "Don't make it sound so simple. It's not, and it never was. You give yourself up for the team over and over again, but you never bother to think about yourself. Don't you trust us enough to do what needs to be done? You don't have to carry the entire team on your back, Tezuka. This is a collaborative effort, and we all have a part to play," he said angrily.

Tezuka stared blankly back at his friend. "Fuji... It's not that I think you all are incapable, but is it not a captain's duty to lead? What does that title mean without that element of leadership? How can I call myself captain if I don't fight with every fiber in my body for the welfare of our team? No, I fight because it's my job, and my commitment to that position comes before my wellbeing."

"But what if you can't play tennis again? What then, Tezuka? Are you willing to throw that joy away for us, for the sake of the team?" Fuji fumed.

"Yes," Tezuka declared, his voice filled with resolve.

Fuji stared blankly at him and balked, unable to understand the man before him. He always thought that Tezuka was far older than his age. An old soul in a young body - that's what Tezuka was. And he always felt so childish standing next to the captain, the man who had sacrificed everything for the sake of his team. How dare he, Fuji Syuusuke, stand near such a man? He who played without seriousness and for the thrill of the game, without obligation, without care, without the drive to win.

"Tezuka..." Fuji trailed off, the dark haired teen staring back at him.

"I don't expect you to understand, Fuji, but I do expect you to respect my decisions," he replied, his rich, dark timbre resonating within Fuji's very being.

Fuji only had the strength the nod, his face burning with shame and embarrassment. They continued to walk along in the silence, turning away from the crowded street to walk into a park filled with cherry trees. They were all blossoming with pale pink flowers, each puffy and perfect in their design.

"They're beautiful, ne Tezuka?" Fuji murmured, his gaze fixated on all the trees surrounding them.

Tezuka grunted, and said, "They look pretty."

Fuji's lips quirked upwards into a more genuine, amused smile at his captain's choice of words. His more playful side came out and he decided to tease him for the hell of it. "What about Chiharu-san, Tezuka?" he asked innocently, but Tezuka swore his voice dripped with malice.

"What about her?" Tezuka questioned gruffly.

On his tip toes, Fuji whispered into Tezuka's ear, saying, "She's pretty too, isn't she?"

Tezuka stiffened and backed away from the other boy, his eyes flashing dangerously, itching to give him so many laps that his feet would fall off. "Fuji," he warned, and the other teen chuckled good naturedly.

"Just kidding around, Tezuka."

The captain snorted in response, and Fuji's smile widened even more, giving him the appearance of a fox or a cat that had just ate the canary.

For the second time that day, Fuji's eyes opened when a snowflake descended from the sky and onto his outstretched palm. A strong breeze blew through the park, and the cherry trees swayed with the wind in an ethereal dance.

"Ne, Tezuka?"

"Hmm?"

"It's snowing."

Tezuka stopped walking and craned his head up towards the sky, his glasses reflecting the images of the nebulous, gray clouds drifting overhead. Fuji did so as well, his innocent blue eyes opened, drinking in the sight of the perfect, tiny snowflakes gently falling down to Earth. Another strong gust of wind blew through the park and the cherry blossoms tore off from their trees, floating in the wind.

The two boys watched in wonder as the cherry blossoms and snow flakes tossed about in the wind, pink and white dots, each divinely perfect, drifting lazily on the wind. Hundreds of cherry blossoms careened across the sky, a marvelous sight to behold, while the snow flanks coasted down after them.

Fuji quickly cast a glance at his friend, and noticed with great surprise the small smile that adorned his usually severe features.

_Tezuka... Is smiling. _Fuji thought with amazement.

Though he had spent three years with the boy in school, he had never once seen him smile. In that second, Fuji's perception of Tezuka transformed and he saw not the usually self-controlled and equanimous tennis captain, but a normal teenage boy that enjoyed beauty just as much as he did. For once, Tezuka appeared human, not the deified person that the team and everyone else made him out to be.

Tezuka, despite all his severity, had a heart after all, and Fuji felt blessed that he was able to witness that. Standing there in that park with a thousand cherry blossoms flowing overhead in an endless river of fluttering pink, Fuji could finally understand, even if only a little bit, the boy next to him.

The moment passed, and Tezuka looked at the other boy, his smile long gone, but his face glowed with something that Fuji couldn't quite place.

"Ne Tezuka, are you going to the snow mountains again this year?" Fuji inquired, and the brown haired boy nodded.

"Probably."

"I want to climb them too someday. With everyone else as well."

Brown eyes peered into blue eyes, and Tezuka turned, stuck his hands in pockets, and walked away, leaving Fuji behind.

"If the opportunity arises," he remarked, still walking away.

_I feel as though I can climb to any height with you. _Fuji thought in admiration and fondness as he watched Tezuka's retreating form.

With a smile, he chased after him, finally standing abreast with the captain before opening his umbrella and holding it above both of their heads. As they walked, Fuji thought about their relationship. They were friends, no doubt, but there was something special, something subtle about their friendship that differentiated it from all others. Even if Tezuka was wise beyond his years, far too loyal for his own good, and simply a god among men, before all that, Tezuka Kunimitsu was his friend.

And that much, Fuji Syuusuke could understand.

"What's wrong?" Tezuka asked politely, turning his head to see the other boy better.

Fuji smiled up at him genuinely, eyes once again closed contently. "Nothing."

And he meant it.

* * *

**A/N: Ahh, major fan-boying alert! I swear to god, that three minute clip on the show had me bawling. STILL A BETTER LOVE STORY THAN TWILIGHT! So good. But actually though, there has never been a more personal moment on any show, anywhere, than that tidbit that Tezuka and Fuji share together after Tezuka's check up. I'm not gay, and I don't think either of them are, but they are made for each other. **

**So basically, this is just my take on their little encounter, obviously not nearly as great as the actual show since that dialogue is marvelous, but this is what I imagined. I really wanted the whole Cherry Blossom imagery to be in there, so I wrote this whole one-shot. I have always felt that those two shared a special relationship, just like Sanada and Yukimura, and I wanted to highlight that since it doesn't get done enough. I feel like the fact that they aren't in love is what makes it so spectacular and refreshing. **

**I don't know, I just love those two to death. Anyhow, my rambling aside, I hope you enjoyed it and as always: Follow, Favorite, and Review. **

**PS: Credits go to fyerigurl for inventing Chiharu who was mentioned briefly by Fuji. Chiharu is possible the greatest OC here on Fanfiction, with the possible exception of Noriko from coffeelatte's story. **


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